Larry Shenk, Vice President of Alumni Relations, shares his notes, quotes and anecdotes from the world of baseball.

Time To Make Hay

This is the time of the year when farmers are making hay. Well, I’m not sure because I’m not a farmer, but I believe that is true.

This is the time of the baseball season when the Phillies need to make hay, big hay, if they have visions of postseason baseball for the sixth straight year.

Starting Friday night, the Phillies play 13 straight games against teams with losing records, Rockies, Marlins, Astros and Mets. Combined those four teams have 100 more losses than wins (223-323). It won’t be easy and focus needs to be on tonight’s game only.

The Rockies came here from Atlanta where they were 1-3, losing, 1-0, 1-0 the last two days, winning 6-0 on Tuesday and losing 6-1 to start the week. Despite the last two games, they have scored 646 runs, third best in the NL. On the other hand, they lead the league in runs allowed (679) and errors (106). Both 1-0 losses came on unearned runs.

Even though Colorado is in the Western Division, this is the third series with the Phillies, one of the scheduling quirks. The Phillies are 4-2.

In the wildcard race, the Phillies are 8 games behind the Cardinals, who would qualify as the second wildcard winner this season. Bigger issue is there are four other teams ahead of the Phillies. There’s still hope, although the percentages are not good.

Down On The Farm

A two-out bases-loaded triple by DH Rob Segedin in the top of the ninth lifted the Trenton Thunder to a 4-1 win over the host Reading Phillies on Thursday night. The series, tied at 1-1, shifts to Trenton for the last three games.

Reading jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning when CF Tyson Gillies walked and 3B Cody Asche and LF Darin Ruf followed with singles. DH Jake Fox, the cleanup hitter, also got a base hit but Reading couldn’t score any more runs that inning or the rest of the game. The R-Phillies managed only two other singles the rest of the game off six Trenton pitchers.

RH Trevor May started for Reading and allowed only lead-off homer in the fifth inning. RH Kyle Simon followed May and tossed 2.2 hitless, scoreless innings with 3 strikeouts. Loser Colby Shreve issued a one-out walk in the ninth that was followed by a single, wild pitch and an intentional walk to load the bases. He struck out 1B Kevin Mahoney but Segedin followed with his game-winning triple.

Jeff Grotewold isn’t a household name for Phillies fans but he had a three-game span that put him in the team’s record book. Check out Paul Hagen’s “Where Are They Now?” feature at www.phillies.com/alumni.

Phlashbacks

September 7, 1971: 1B Greg Luzinski hits his first major league home run (off RHP Reggie Cleveland), a towering shot into Section 570 at the Vet in a 7-5, 10-inning loss to St. Louis, second game.

September 7, 1972: LHP Steve Carlton beats his former team (Cardinals), 2-1, at the Vet and strikes out nine, breaking the Phillies single season record of 268 set by Jim Bunning in 1965. 23rd win breaks the club record for a LHP set by Eppa Rixey in 1916.

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